The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-18
ANTISEPTIC SURGERY.
Successful Results in New York of the New
Method Of Treating Wounds.

Dr. W. N WishArd returned Saturday night
from New York, where he has been attending
the Polytechnic and the Postgraduate Schools of
Medicine. It is becoming quite the thing for
old practitioners to attend these schools, and
they are usually the brightest and most ad-
vanced members Of the profession. The most
OF them 60 to learn the new methods Of anti
septic surgery and obstetrics
The Doctor says that surgical practice has
been completely revolutionized in New York in
the last ten years. There are no more hospital
odors. It is the rarest thing to see suppurating
wounds drawing away the life of the patient,
and where this occurs good reason must be
shown or the surgeon is held responsible. A
doctor doing up a wound without the of
carbolic acid. iodoform and corrosive sublimate
lotions would be regarded guilty OF malpractice.
eficacy of autiseptic treatment was the success
attending its strict use in the Emergency
Maternity Hospital, where the eminent Dr. Lusk
had charge, and where, in 200 successive cases
from the lower walks of life, not
a single case of puerperal septcamia. that dread
of every home, had occurred. The feeling is
rapidly growing among the more progressive of
the profession that the doctor who loses case
of this disease has it to explain. and is response
bic. DR.. Wishard said that while using DR..
Lusk's methods, the last sixteen months ne was
superintendent of the City Hospital, no. a case
out of over sixty suffered with this disease.
In answer to a question as to what the essence
of the antseptic method is, the Doctor said it
could be daily, in all its details. in the City
Hospital here and the results more than justi-
fed the efforts of the superintendent and his
staff. In New York, where he saw for three
months in the hospitals. colleges and dispense
res from five to ten cases daily, the region of
the wound was washed and shaved. and kept
flushed with a stream of the germ killing water;
every oozing little vessel was tied with catgut.
cut Off Short little blood was lost and none left
in the wound; dry dressings of gauze.
soaked IN mercural lotion and made yellow with
iodoform powder we're put in many thicknesseS
over the wound. By this treatment the germs
in the wound were killed, those in the air kept
out, and any escaping death were washed out
through drainage-tubes of decaciied bone or
rubber placed in the wound Often the dress
ings were not removed. after great amputations.
for week, and there neither pus nor
foul odor, but immediate union of parts.
DR.. Wishard says that one of the most hopeful
most universal acceptance, even among the old
surgeons, though in New York the most of the
brilliant teachers ana operations are among the
young men. Since visiting the hosritals OF the
Missouri Pacific railroad, with DR.. Marsee. three
years ago, he had endeavored to carry out the
antiseptic methods in the City Hospital here, and
had met with such excellent results, that to do
otherwise he should regard as criminal in either
surgery obstetrics, and his experience was
borne out by all the members of the staff who
had tried the modern treatment of wounds, either
in the hospital or in private practice. In New
York antseptIc treatment is carried into private
and emergency practice, the doctors supplying
themselves with what are known Emergency
Antiseptic Cases. Dr. Wishard says that the
method is not Yearly SO expensive to doctor or
patien. as the old way. But 1t needs care to
details. good, trained nurses. and abiding
faith and watchful energy. that no avenue for
corruption is left OPEN